Apple Watch Vs Fitbit: Who Tracks Sleep Better?

The Apple Watch and Fitbit are two of the most popular smartwatches on the market, with both offering a range of health and fitness tracking features. Sleep tracking is one of the most sought-after features in a smartwatch, and for years, Fitbit has been the go-to option for consumers. However, Apple has recently upped its game with the release of WatchOS 9, which enables compatible Apple Watches to track sleep stages and cycles. So, how do the two devices compare when it comes to sleep tracking?

Apple Watch's sleep tracking features

The Apple Watch has offered sleep-tracking features since 2020, when Apple addressed a key area in which it lagged behind Fitbit and other smartwatch rivals. The Apple Watch's sleep-tracking features include measuring sleep duration, heart rate, and movement disturbances. Users can also download third-party sleep analysis apps, such as SleepWatch, for deeper insights into their sleep.

SleepWatch is a free smart sleep-tracking app that can be added to any Apple Watch Series. It allows users to simply wear their Apple Watch to bed and wake up to insightful sleep details. The app learns the user's routine and offers suggestions to help them improve their sleep. It also provides a daily and monthly SleepWatch Score that represents the user's sleep in an easy-to-track number. SleepWatch can also be used to log sleep history and times to the Apple Health App.

The Apple Watch's sleep-tracking features integrate with existing iPhone sleep tools, including a "wind-down" lock screen displayed before bedtime and a "sleep mode" display at night. While the user sleeps, the Apple Watch uses motion sensors, heartbeat sensors, and microphones to keep track of how deeply the user is sleeping throughout the night.

While the Apple Watch does not provide a sleep score like Fitbit, it offers a similar graph of the user's sleep stages, as well as heart rate and respiratory stats throughout the night. The Apple Watch also tracks any deviation of the user's wrist temperature from their usual baseline, using that data for cycle tracking.

Fitbit's sleep tracking features

Fitbit has been offering sleep-tracking features for years, giving it an edge over competitors like Apple Watches. Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking can record the different sleep stages a person cycles through during sleep. This includes light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. Fitbit devices use movement and heart-rate patterns to estimate sleep stages. When the device senses that the wearer hasn't moved for about an hour, it assumes they are asleep. It also tracks the length of time when movements indicate sleep behaviour, such as rolling over.

Fitbit devices track beat-to-beat changes in the wearer's heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV), which fluctuates as the wearer transitions between different sleep stages. The device syncs this data in the morning to provide an overview of the previous night's sleep cycles. Fitbit's sleep-tracking features also include a daily sleep score breakdown, which analyses sleep duration, sleep quality, and restoration, with a total score of up to 100. This score is calculated based on heart rate, the time spent awake or restless, and sleep stages.

Additionally, Fitbit Premium offers guided programs developed with sleep experts, such as "Habits for Restful Sleep" and "Get More Sleep". These programs aim to help users improve their daytime and nighttime habits to achieve deeper and longer sleep. Fitbit's sleep-tracking features provide valuable insights into sleep patterns and offer guidance to help users improve their sleep habits and overall well-being.

While Fitbit has been a leader in the sleep-tracking market, Apple has recently caught up with the introduction of sleep tracking in its Apple Watch. The Apple Watch now competes with Fitbit by offering similar sleep-tracking capabilities, including the ability to track sleep stages and cycles. However, the accuracy of these features in the Apple Watch is still being evaluated, and anecdotal evidence suggests varying results when compared to Fitbit devices.

Apple Watch vs Fitbit: accuracy

The Apple Watch and Fitbit are both popular smartwatch options, with the former accounting for 55.5% of the global smartwatch market share as of the first quarter of 2020. While the Fitbit has offered sleep tracking for years, Apple only launched a sleep tracking tool for the Apple Watch in 2020, addressing a key area in which it lagged behind its competitors.

Accuracy of Sleep Tracking

There is no definitive answer on the accuracy of sleep tracking for either device as there are no peer-reviewed studies comparing their data with other tried-and-true methods. However, there is some anecdotal evidence available.

One source notes that their Apple Watch 7 consistently tracked sleep time longer than their Fitbit Inspire 2 by about 25 minutes on average, while also tracking more time awake throughout the night. The biggest differences were in Light/Core sleep and REM sleep; the former was marked as over an hour longer by the Apple Watch, while the REM sleep was about 40 minutes longer. However, on some days, the Apple Watch marked sleep onset earlier than the Fitbit, resulting in different times.

Another source notes that their Apple Watch tended to assume they woke up exactly when the alarm went off, which was not always the case. The Fitbit, on the other hand, accurately told them when and for how long their sleep was interrupted by brief moments of being awake. The Apple Watch also does not provide time spent awake.

A third source notes that their old Fitbit was better at tracking REM sleep than their Apple Watch, with the times they recorded for REM sleep lining up perfectly.

A fourth source notes that their Apple Watch has recorded longer times asleep than the time they actually spent in bed in the past 30 days. However, they also state that the Apple Watch's ability to track sleep stages by analyzing heart rate and movement is done with at least some accuracy. Their anecdotal impression is that the Apple Watch is more accurate than Fitbit at sleep tracking. This impression is supported by scientist Rob ter Horst's sleep tests, which found the Apple Watch post-WatchOS 9 update to be the most accurate at tracking sleep cycles of the devices he tested.

A fifth source notes that the Fitbit Inspire 2 provides more sleep data, including how many hours they slept, and that it has been pretty accurate over the years.

While there is no definitive answer on the accuracy of sleep tracking for either device, the anecdotal evidence suggests that the Fitbit may be more accurate in tracking REM sleep and the duration of sleep. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, may be more accurate in tracking sleep stages and tends to track longer sleep times.

Third-party sleep analysis apps for Apple Watch

Apple Watch users have been able to track their sleep using third-party apps for years. However, Apple launched its own sleep tracking tool for the Apple Watch in 2020, addressing a key area in which it lagged behind Fitbit and other smartwatch rivals.

AutoSleep

AutoSleep is a third-party sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch. It automatically tracks your sleep with no buttons to press. The watch app is optional, and the app offers total privacy with no user analytics tracking, no advertising plugins, no third-party code, and no data upload. AutoSleep has no ongoing subscriptions or surprise charges. It also offers full integration with Sleep Stages from the Apple Sleep app, allowing you to view all your sleep information in AutoSleep.

Sleep Cycle

Sleep Cycle is another third-party sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch. It presents sleep-lifestyle correlations neatly on-screen, allowing you to easily understand the data. It relies on sound-sensing technology to assess your sleep, using the microphone to detect the sounds you make when you move.

Sonar

Sonar is a sleep-tracking technology that uses inaudible sound waves emitted by your phone's speakers. These waves deflect off your chest as it moves while you breathe, and the phone's microphone picks them up. The shape of the deflected waves varies depending on the rhythm and depth of your breath, which changes as your brain shifts during various sleep stages. Sonar-enabled apps can then use this information to analyze your sleep.

User-friendliness of Apple Watch and Fitbit

Both the Apple Watch and Fitbit are known for their user-friendliness, even for those new to fitness tracking. However, the Apple Watch's design and user interface are more intuitive and simple, giving it an edge over Fitbit in terms of ease of use. The Apple Watch's display is big, bright, and clear, even when the user is on the move. On the other hand, some Fitbit wearables have tiny screens that can be challenging to read in certain lighting conditions.

The Apple Watch is ideal for users who are willing to pay for a comprehensive smartwatch that accurately tracks their activity and offers the convenience of iPhone functionality on their wrist. It combines fitness and health tracking with features like receiving notifications, app integration, voice assistance, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Apple Watch is known for its sleek, modern, and minimalist aesthetics, characteristic of Apple's product design principles. It also provides a wide range of apps, including health and fitness, productivity, communication, and entertainment apps.

Fitbit, on the other hand, is a much more budget-friendly device with superior battery life. The sticker price for a Fitbit, plus a six-month premium subscription, is often discounted and can be purchased for around $100 on major shopping days. While the Apple Watch does not have a subscription fee, some apps may charge additional fees. The Fitbit is more limited in terms of features but has a simpler interface, longer battery life, and works with both iPhone and Android phones. Fitbit watches are known for their practical design, focusing on comfort, durability, and user-friendliness. They have a sleek and lightweight body, making them comfortable for all-day wear. Fitbits feature a vivid and easy-to-read interface, although some users have reported issues with the touchscreen functionality and buttons, requiring hard jabs to use.

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